[loktide]

i sort of understand what you're trying to say, dude. I owned a flextone II head for a bit more than a year, and i couldn't get a useable sound out of it through my old marshall 1960b cab. The bass was either overwhelming or just not there. What bothered me most on this amp was that it started to sound like it's clipping when turned up to match my drummer. I couldn't get it to cut through and well... it was simply a pain in the ass. I noticed that a v30-loaded cab helps it cutting through, but the clipping quality is even more noticeable. Probably something in the higher midrange that's getting accentuated even further by v30s...

anyway, i've also got to play the HD147 for about 2 hours once and i had all the aforementioned problems with it, too. I actually liked the flextone II more.

it seems like line 6 can build amps that will work for messing around at low volumes but PHAIL to make it in a mix or at band volumes...

i found that the hd147 had A LOT of gain, though. Enough even to get into mushy mess 'teh br00talz' territory.

i should also add that i'm not a line 6 hater at all! i love my podXT since it's incredibly useful for practicing at home and recording. Their amps just not seem to be my case for a band situation...

[budda]

I heard a flextone II into a behringer fit perfectly well next to a 2-chan dual rec sunday night.

*shrugs*

if HE doesnt like the sound, then he should go and test out more amps. are you trying to find a good guitar tone while it's just you? that might have something to do with it - dial it in at practise, because what sounds good standalone (ie. scooping) will sound bad in a band setting, but a good band setting might sound weird w/o the whole band backing it up.

[Rick]

If he's deadset on keeping his HD and not switching to an amp of your liking, kick his ass out. He loves his tone for a reason and it should stay that way. I love my amp and if anyone tried to get me to switch, I'd quit.

[Nick]

i was going to mention the whole on its own/in a band setting thing aswell.

i recon you are probably treating it like its a tube amp/solid state amp which is what a lot of people do to start with.

line 6 stuff doesnt respont like a normal amp you have to just do a whole lot of trial and error to get good/usable tones from it. My pod settings are totally fucked compared to how id set up my Engl head.

[Rick]

^Couldn't agree more. I've been messing with my amp for about 3 years to really find my tone and I think I'm getting closer than ever before.

[thedownside]

Originally Posted by Nick

i was going to mention the whole on its own/in a band setting thing aswell.

i recon you are probably treating it like its a tube amp/solid state amp which is what a lot of people do to start with.

line 6 stuff doesnt respont like a normal amp you have to just do a whole lot of trial and error to get good/usable tones from it. My pod settings are totally fucked compared to how id set up my Engl head.

same here!

and it takes quite some time of messing with it to really start figuring out how to develop the right tones.

[biggness]

I have owned this amp in the past. I will tell you now that it takes a bit of tweaking before it wakes up. I was running a ts9 into the red light on the smash channel if I'm not mistaken and a mxr 10-band eq in the loop. I also didn't use the cab modeling. I played in bands with no problems, never had any problems cutting through the mix, it was consistent every time I flicked the switch and most of all, I got a tremendous amount of comments on my tone. My settings for it if I remember right where: (in clock format)

gain 12 -1
bass 1
mids 2
treb 2:30ish
pres 2:30ish
vol 3

A little story about the hd147 to add:

I bought the hd147 when it first came out. I was in love with it. Then I get bored at work one day and stumble upon the HC amp forum. As you may know, all they preach over there is tube amp this and tube amp that. I start thinking maybe I do need a tube amp. So a little while later I come across a jsx and a 5150 II both with jj and ruby tubes in them. I play these amps for a little while. Then one day my buddy comes over and sees the hd147 sitting there with dust on it and asks me "hey man, how come you don't ever play that thing anymore?" I say unto thee "Don't need it, I have these tube amps here n00b!!" Well he convinces me to plug in play it. I don't know if that amp was sad I had not played it in a long time or what, but it went into beast mode and never came out. My buddy could see the smile on my face and made a remark along the lines of "Dude, it don't matter what it has in it or what name it has on it, if it sounds good, it sounds good." To this day, I have stood beside these words. Sure those peavey amps sounded great, but that line 6 had something that made me smile.

[budda]

reverb? haha

[Rick]

Originally Posted by biggness

I have owned this amp in the past. I will tell you now that it takes a bit of tweaking before it wakes up. I was running a ts9 into the red light on the smash channel if I'm not mistaken and a mxr 10-band eq in the loop. I also didn't use the cab modeling. I played in bands with no problems, never had any problems cutting through the mix, it was consistent every time I flicked the switch and most of all, I got a tremendous amount of comments on my tone. My settings for it if I remember right where: (in clock format)

gain 12 -1
bass 1
mids 2
treb 2:30ish
pres 2:30ish
vol 3

A little story about the hd147 to add:

I bought the hd147 when it first came out. I was in love with it. Then I get bored at work one day and stumble upon the HC amp forum. As you may know, all they preach over there is tube amp this and tube amp that. I start thinking maybe I do need a tube amp. So a little while later I come across a jsx and a 5150 II both with jj and ruby tubes in them. I play these amps for a little while. Then one day my buddy comes over and sees the hd147 sitting there with dust on it and asks me "hey man, how come you don't ever play that thing anymore?" I say unto thee "Don't need it, I have these tube amps here n00b!!" Well he convinces me to plug in play it. I don't know if that amp was sad I had not played it in a long time or what, but it went into beast mode and never came out. My buddy could see the smile on my face and made a remark along the lines of "Dude, it don't matter what it has in it or what name it has on it, if it sounds good, it sounds good." To this day, I have stood beside these words. Sure those peavey amps sounded great, but that line 6 had something that made me smile.

That's awesome!

[DrakkarTyrannis]

The thing was that I wasn't exactly sure if I was expecting tube qualities from it for not. I do believe I was being a little unfair. From playing all kinds of stuff I think I've become so used to tube characteristics that when this amp didn't have it, it confused the shit out of me. It's like seeing nothing but black all your life and then you pass something that's purple. With a little gain boost and an eq in the loop this thing definately gets a LOT better and I've finally gotten some great sounds out of it. I'm giving him my BBE sonic maximizer that I usually use because his amp sounds so great with it that I'll buy something else for my setup and let him keep that. And yes, he's set on the Line 6, which is fine, my goal is to help him get the best out of it for his own personal use as well as for the band, not kick him out. I've been working with him and trying to dial in some sounds I think he'd like and next practice I think he'll be pleased. I will say, this amp makes tone finding fun once you get used to the amp, coming up with new tones and naming them and all that is actually enjoyable.

This gives me the idea for a new thread. Everyone refer to the new thread "Ever had to kick out a band mate due to horrible guitar tone"